1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to shoe cleaning apparatus and, more particularly, to such apparatus which is portable and which utilizes the motion of the user""s foot to perform its functions and which does not require an external source of power.
2. Prior Art
Throughout this disclosure, the termxe2x80x9cfootwearxe2x80x9d will be used to refer to all manner of footwear, whether shoes, boots, galoshes, slippers, or the like intended primarily for wear out of doors. Furthermore, use of any singular term of type of footwear will be intended to mean any other type as well. When a person returns indoors after walking through ice, snow, mud, dust, or other material, the presence of which is not desirable indoors, it is desirable to clean the footwear either just before entry or upon entry to make certain the undesirable material is not tracked further inside.
Shoe cleaning devices which utilize brushes for cleaning the various aspects of a shoe are well known. In general, such prior art devices utilize brushes which are either fixed or power driven. In the former instance, the user may simply move his shoe against fixed brushes to accomplish the cleaning, while in the latter instance, the shoe may be simply held fixed against the power driven brushes. Devices of the first class are generally inefficient, presenting the same brushing surface to the shoe at all times, which results in undue wear of and quick contamination of the brushes. Devices of the second class are often expensive and complicated.
The present invention relates to footwear cleaning apparatus which includes a housing having front and top walls with an opening for reception of footwear to be cleaned and a base on which the housing is supported. A first cylindrical brush positioned in the path of movement of the footwear is rotatably supported about a substantially horizontally disposed axis for rotation in a manner to clean the bottom of the footwear yielding to its insertion movement into the housing but preventing rotation in the opposite direction. A pair of second cylindrical brushes are oppositely positioned adjacent the path of movement of the footwear. The second brushes are rotatably supported about generally upright axes for cleaning the sides of the footwear also in a manner yielding to its insertion movement but preventing rotation in the opposite direction. A third cylindrical brush also positioned in the path of movement of the footwear for cleaning its upper surfaces is rotatably supported about a substantially horizontally disposed axis on an axle extending between upright mounting braces for rotation, yielding to insertion movement of the footwear but preventing rotation in the opposite direction. The housing encloses the first, second, and third brushes at least at the sides and at the end opposite that for insertion of the footwear and so much of the top and front thereof as is not required for insertion of the footwear.
The present invention provides a device which differs from power driven devices in that it does not require its own source of power and which differs from fixed brush devices in that the brushes are not always fixed and do not present the same working surface at all times. The unit of the invention is not electrically operated and is intrinsically a safe product.
The apparatus of the invention is essentially a domesticated version of a shoe cleaner which has been available commercially for many years. The unit disclosed is capable of cleaning a broad range of shoe sizes, for example, sizes 2 to 16, and at a 90% rate of removal of the contamination.
A unit of the invention may be located on the outside of an entry into a building or it may be placed inside a hallway or foyer of the building or at any other location where needed. There are numerous other locations which would be desirable for the apparatus of the invention, for example, golf courses, bocci courts, tennis courts, bowling allies, hospitals, businesses and numerous other places and for many other uses. Another important place may be at beaches, pools, showers (to disinfect feet) and other areas where bare feet are typically exposed.
Brushes for the invention may be of nylon construction, for example, and it is preferable that the bristles for the brushes be of such a character that they do not hold contamination or spread any particles that are of contagious nature. With these brushes, a spray system can be optionally employed to deliver liquids such as, disinfectants, water or other products to a receiving surface. Furthermore, these nylon bristles may vary in thickness if one needs more or less consistency for certain operations or functions.
Accordingly, a principal feature of the present invention is the provision of apparatus having these characteristics and advantages, and more specifically, to apparatus which is portable and which utilizes the motion of the user""s feet to perform its functions and which does not require an external source of power.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision of such apparatus that is sturdy and capable of long trouble-free use, that is compact and readily portable, and that is more efficient than comparable known devices.
A further feature of the present invention is the provision of a device incorporating brushes which operate in accordance with a novel shoe cleaning principle, namely, compliance with the movement of a shoe in a first direction and resistance to the movement in a second direction.
Yet another feature of the present invention is the provision of a device of the aforesaid type that ensures adequate cleaning of the under and side surfaces of a shoe, which normally are subject to the greatest accumulation of dirt, and which cleans the upper surface of the shoe as well.
Still a further feature of the present invention is the provision of a device of the aforesaid type that is self-contained and yet readily exposed for servicing.
Yet a further feature of the present invention is the provision of a device of the aforesaid type that permits the ready disposal of dirt removed from the shoes.
Other and further features, advantages, and benefits of the invention will become apparent in the following description taken in conjunction with the following drawings. It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory but are not to be restrictive of the invention. The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this invention, illustrate one of the embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention in general terms. Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the disclosure.